Give Yourself a Pep-Talk

When we are discouraged and down, nothing helps more than a pep talk from someone you love and respect. It can change your attitude, boost your confidence, increase your energy, and spur you to positive action. But, what happens when no one is there to encourage and build you up?

As a society, we have been trained to have our emotions affected by outside influences. We watch TV and movies in which our feelings are manipulated and controlled. We blame our feelings on the weather or traffic. We are conditioned to believe that we have no control over our attitudes and emotions. Not so.

The truth is, we can take control of our emotions and determine our own attitudes. So, next time you get down and discouraged, next time you feel like you just can’t go on, give yourself a pep-talk.

In times of discouragement, it’s natural for your mind to review all of the things that are going wrong and to anticipate negative events in the future. But this only tends to reinforce your negative feelings and drag you down even more. You can break this pattern by giving yourself a pep-talk.

Here’s how:

Look in the mirror and speak out loud (you can even do this in your car)

Talk as if you were encouraging a friend. Use “you are” instead of “I am.”

Remind yourself that you are a one-of-a-kind miracle of nature with infinite worth

Remember times when you were proud to be you. Verbalize how you felt when you accomplished something significant. Review your successes.

Tell yourself that what you have done before, you can do again. Your future is bright and more of these successful times are on the horizon.

Count your blessings. Think about all of the good things in your life.

Review, one by one, your talents, skills, and abilities. Remind yourself of your best attributes. No one else has your unique combination of natural talents and learned abilities. Give yourself a commercial on you.

Tell yourself that you can do it. You have everything you need. You are motivated and excited to take action. Repeat these affirmations with enthusiasm and conviction.

You can repeat this procedure anytime, anyplace. Do it right before an important meeting or phone call. Visualize the outcome that you want and tell yourself that it will happen.

Bill Mansell is president of MindPerk, Inc., one of the web's largest resources for self improvement and business training. A dynamic speaker and success coach, Bill is the author of a weekly blog titled, One Minute Motivators. Bill helps companies and organizations inspire and motivate their team members to consistently achieve more. His contagious enthusiasm has helped people from all walks of life to reach and exceed their goals.